29 people were injured when an explosion went off Saturday night in front of a 14-story residence for the blind on West 23rd Street, the New York Police Department stated on Twitter. The blast occurred seven blocks from The New School’s 16th street building.
There are now 29 injuries being reported. One may be critical. We remain on the scene. #NYPD #Chelsea #Vigilant
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) September 18, 2016
Police officials said the explosion went off at 8:30pm Saturday night. One of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening, according to the FDNY. Information about the source of the explosion hasn’t been confirmed. NYPD Bomb Squad and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were requested to respond. It is being treated as a crime scene investigation.
“It sounded like a plane hit a building,” Bari Zuckerman, 20, told the NSFP. She was walking down 23rd near Broadway when she heard the explosion.
Sami Miller, 20, was on her way to meet up with friends for dinner when she texted a friend, “A bomb went off I’m gushing blood.”
She was referring to her bleeding hand. She proceeded to send a series of frantic text messages.
“I’m with a group of people.”
“I’m ok I’m going to the hospital.”
“I was on the block.”
“My ear drum teared.”
“I saw the whole explosion it was in front of my face.”
Almost three hours after the explosive, authorities found and removed a second explosive device located on West 27th Street between Avenue of Americas and Seventh Avenue. The authorities described it as a pressure-cooker device similar to the one used in the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. The device was removed around 2:25 a.m to the department’s firing range at Rodman’s Neck in the Bronx, the New York Times reports.
BREAKING PHOTO! Here is the second device found by a NYSP Sgt. At 27 street and 7 Ave. investigation is ongoing pic.twitter.com/x7o9Rr30I3
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) September 18, 2016
“We believe this was an intentional act. As of now, no connection to an earlier incident in New Jersey,” mayor Bill de Blasio said in reference to an improvised device that exploded in a garbage can near the course of a charity race in New Jersey.
Government officials are expected to provide more information throughout the day.
Update 9/18/16, 7:00pm: New School President, David Van Zandt issued the following statement to the New School community: 
Additional reporting by Sabrina Steck.
Sydney is a current Junior studying Journalism & Design at Eugene Lang and the Co-Editor-In-Chief of The New School Free Press. She spends a questionable amount of time responding to emails, remembering coffee orders for her various internships, producing films & frolicking around the Lower East Side where she’s living her New York dream of occupying a bedroom with a brick wall.
